You make good money. You have a plan somewhere. What you are not sure about is whether anyone is actually watching the whole thing. Right now, you probably have an advisor for investments, a CPA for taxes, and maybe an attorney for estate documents. None of them talk to each other. You are the one in the middle, repeating your situation to three people who each see one slice of it. I build the financial plan, and I prepare and file your tax return myself. Same person, same conversation. The tax decision and the planning decision get made together, by someone who can see how one moves the other. Most advisors hand you off to a CPA who has never seen your plan. I do not hand you off. I work with dual-income parents, director level and up, two demanding careers, kids at home, and a financial life that has gotten more complicated than you have time for. Equity comp you have not fully sorted out. College creeping up. Estate documents written before your last job change. All of it in motion at once, and no one holding it together. What I give you back is time. One relationship instead of many. One person who knows the whole story, so you stop being the project manager of your own financial life. None of these pieces is that hard on its own. The coordination is what you do not have the hours for. That is the part I take off your plate. I am raising four kids of my own, including a set of triplets, so I plan from inside this life stage, not from a brochure. I know what it costs, in money and in attention, to do this well. If you are tired of being the one who holds it all together, reach out. I will tell you honestly whether I am the right fit.

Sean R. Sparkman, AIF®, is the founder of Pathfinders Wealth and an investment adviser representative with Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC. Based in Commerce Township, Michigan, he works with families, retirees, and business owners nationwide by phone and video and throughout Southeast Michigan in person by appointment. His work focuses on retirement income planning, investment management, Social Security, Roth conversions and other tax-aware planning decisions, life insurance, annuities, survivor planning, and long-term family and legacy goals. Sean's approach is simple: every dollar should have a job. Depending on the client, that job may be growth, income, liquidity, tax efficiency, protection, or legacy. The job comes first; the product comes after. Investment advisory services are offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Insurance products are offered separately through appropriately licensed insurance professionals. Estate-planning matters may be coordinated with a client's independent attorney; Sean does not provide legal services.

Louis Bader is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving at J.P. Morgan Securities. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2013. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors.

Bassam Salem is a financial advisor at Objective Investments, LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Objective Investments since 2018. Prior to that, he worked at InvestShares Advisor Group Inc. and InvestShares from 2016 to 2018. Objective Investments provides fee-based investment management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, employs a variety of investment strategies, and provides specialized services to employer-sponsored retirement plans as a limited-scope ERISA 3(21) fiduciary.

Natalie Miller is the principal advisor and owner of Grit and Lavender Financial Planning, an independent firm based in Brighton, Michigan. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 14 years of industry experience, including roles at Merrill Lynch, PNC Investments, and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of her advisory work, she provides non-securities related consulting, coaching, and virtual instruction for securities licensing exams. Grit and Lavender Financial Planning serves individual clients with services ranging from ongoing investment management to one-time financial plans and hands-on financial coaching. The firm primarily employs a passive investment approach using index mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a subscription-style billing model with educational seminars and fee-based courses.

Robert Laura is a financial advisor with Wealth & Wellness Group, LLC in Brighton, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has been involved with Synergos Financial Group, L.L.C. dba Osborn Wealth Management since 2009 and is also active in educational content development and workshops through Retirement Project LLC. Wealth & Wellness Group provides investment advisory and planning services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a tailored portfolio management approach that emphasizes diversification, asset allocation, Modern Portfolio Theory, and fundamental analysis, managing both discretionary and directed client relationships.

Robert Boutin is the sole advisor at Physicians' Financial L.C. in Northville, MI, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes a year at Morgan Stanley and over 15 years with Midwest Financial Education L.C. and Physicians' Financial L.C. Physicians’ Financial L.C. serves primarily medical professionals with personal wealth planning, combining investment management, income tax planning and preparation, life and disability insurance, and financial counseling. The firm employs long-term, disciplined investment strategies focused on diversification and risk-based model portfolios, and is notable for integrating advisory, insurance, and tax services within a single, state-registered practice.

Richard Gillikin is the founder and sole advisor at GilliKin Advisors Limited, an independent firm based in Farmington Hills, MI. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 12 years of experience in investment advisory services. In addition to his advisory role, Gillikin has been president of Gillikin & Associates, CPA, PC since 1982, a public accounting firm specializing in tax and financial statement services. GilliKin Advisors Limited provides personalized investment advisory and portfolio management services to a small group of individual clients, overseeing approximately $26.4 million across 21 accounts. The firm operates on a primarily non-discretionary basis and integrates investment guidance with tax and accounting considerations.

Richard Probst is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Fountainhead Financial Management, Inc. since 1998 and previously worked at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. He is involved in a family business focused on agricultural and food processing byproduct and waste recycling, providing management and business advice. Fountainhead Financial Management, Inc. is an independent firm offering financial planning services on a fixed fee or hourly basis.

Omar Ezz is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently operating as the sole advisor at Olive Tree Asset Management. His prior roles include positions at Blue Chip Partners, General Motors, Azzad Asset Management, and New England Securities. Ezz also maintains a full-time corporate finance role outside of his advisory practice. Olive Tree Asset Management is an independent, state-registered firm providing individualized portfolio management and financial planning services to households and institutional clients. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory to develop tailored investment policies, serving both individuals and employee benefit plans.

Michael Cho is a financial advisor at Armor Wealth Strategies, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Cutter & Company, Inc and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Outside of advising, Cho serves as a fencing referee and volunteers as treasurer for the Disability Network of Oakland and Macomb Counties. Armor Wealth Strategies is a small advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary asset management, comprehensive financial planning, and ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory services. The firm tailors portfolios to client goals and risk tolerances, employing a range of investment strategies and providing ongoing monitoring and quarterly reviews.

Jeffrey Grad is a financial advisor with Grad Wealth Management PLLC in Livonia, Michigan, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to founding his current firm, he worked at Founders Financial Securities, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Grad & Shoemaker, PC, a tax and accounting firm, where he prepares and reviews personal and corporate tax returns. Grad Wealth Management offers comprehensive financial planning, consulting, and retirement plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm primarily matches client objectives and risk profiles to third-party model portfolios, overseeing these managers with ongoing reviews and portfolio rebalancing.

John Mcgonagle Jr. is a CFP® certificant and financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Asset Architects, LLC since 2015 and operates as a sole proprietor since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he spends a significant portion of his time as a licensed insurance agent. Asset Architects, LLC is a solo, fee-based advisory firm serving individuals and high-net-worth clients by providing personalized financial planning and consulting. The firm arranges relationships with third-party money managers rather than directly managing client assets, and also offers commissioned insurance products as part of its services.

Thomas Horton is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience. He has operated Horton Financial Planning LLC since 2004, serving clients from Farmington Hills, MI. Horton Financial Planning LLC is an independent, fee-only advisory firm that offers hourly, as-needed financial planning and investment advice primarily to individual clients. The firm emphasizes comprehensive planning and a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach focused on passive, low-cost index funds with periodic rebalancing.

Bernard Shinkel is the sole advisor at Alpha Investment Management, Inc. in Novi, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Alpha Investment Management since 2010. Alpha Investment Management is a Michigan-registered advisory firm providing discretionary portfolio management and wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, family limited partnerships, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a top-down, macro-oriented investment process that emphasizes diversified global portfolios with a focus on low-cost ETFs and index funds, aiming to manage risk and deliver steady returns.

William Winn is a financial advisor at Fiducial Partners LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at several firms including Retirement Wealth Advisors and Newbridge Financial Group. In addition to advisory services, he operates as an independent insurance agent offering fixed insurance, life insurance, Medicare supplement, and annuity products. Fiducial Partners LLC provides discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm constructs portfolios using equities, mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income instruments, emphasizing tailored strategies based on fundamental and technical analysis, active allocation, and risk management.

Michelle Brow is a ChFC® and holds a Series 66 license, with 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at firms including J.P. Morgan Securities, Michigan Securities, and StraitGate Financial prior to founding Full Bloom Financial. Full Bloom Financial serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, corporations, and other businesses with wealth management, investment management, and comprehensive financial planning, including business and exit-planning advisory. The firm combines modern portfolio theory with both passive and active investment strategies, offering specialized allocations such as socially responsible and Biblically Responsible Investing, and manages accounts primarily on a non-discretionary basis.

Kristian Kalaj is the principal advisor at Kalaj Capital in Novi, Michigan, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He has worked as an independent contractor in general contracting since 2014, dedicating about 10 hours per week to this activity. Kalaj Capital provides asset management and financial planning services, offering continuous supervision of custodial accounts and comprehensive financial plans that cover tax planning, retirement, insurance, and other personal financial matters. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis across various investment strategies, managing accounts on a separate-account basis with discretionary authority granted by clients.

Brent Bell is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Bell Financial Planning, an independent firm based in South Lyon, Michigan. Prior to founding his firm, Bell worked at several financial services organizations including Tempus Wealth Planning, fpPathfinder, and Planning Alternatives Ltd. He also contributes to fpPathfinder by reviewing financial planning resources used by other advisors. Bell Financial Planning provides investment management and retirement-plan advisory services to both institutional and individual clients. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory–based approach using third-party managers and offers a range of financial planning services, including project, hourly, and subscription models, serving a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals and retirement plan sponsors.

David Kubicek is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience and has been associated with the Institute of Trade Management since 1997. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and operates out of Farmington Hills, MI. The Institute of Trade Management serves individuals, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable and nonprofit institutions, and corporations, providing financial consulting, investment advice, litigation support, treasury and cash-management consulting, and broader management consulting services. The firm customizes advice to client goals, employs fundamental analysis and occasional technical analysis for timing, and does not take custody of assets or charge fees based on assets under management.